Milind-Shahana: Lovers No More

Mumbai Mirror

April 30, 2013

For more than four years, Milind Soman and Shahana Goswami cocked a snook to naysayers who had frowned at their 21-year age gap. They even graced the cover of a magazine in February this year, looking and sounding every bit in love. Not any longer. Mirror has learnt that the good-looking and talented duo have decided to give their relationship a break. And the age difference has little or nothing to do with it.

According to sources, the problem between the couple is a rather delicate one. Shahana is keen to get married. Milind, who has been through a long-distance relationship, marriage (to his French costar Mylene Jampanoi) and a divorce (2009), was not ready to commit himself all over again.

Always guarded about their personal lives, the two never washed their dirty linen in public. But those in their social circuit were aware that everything was not quite all right. Speaking to this newspaper from Kolkata, a friend of Shahana's pointed out: "Shahana practically lived with Milind at his apartment. Towards the end of last year, her visits trickled down to a complete stop. We sensed something was wrong."

The rift became more apparent when Heroine was being promoted. Shahana, who had an important role in the film, graced all the photo calls and red carpet events alone. Milind was nowhere by her side.

"An emotional Shahana admitted to her friends that they had had a difference of opinion about their future," the friend said, adding, "She was looking for a more serious commitment from her man, he believed his loyalty was good enough. Having been through two failed and high-profile relationships, he was not ready to be legally bound by another." Even as the couple struggled to iron out their differences, Shahana's family commitments and Milind's passion for marathons kept them apart.

"There came a point when they would not even text each other as frequently anymore. Like so many other couples, they seemed to have outgrown each other," the friend added.

Mirror tried to get in touch with both Shahana and Milind. While the former chose not to respond to our calls and messages, Milind didn't deny our story, but requested us not to write anything about it, "good or bad."

Milind and Shahana have known each other for nearly six years. In Shahana's words, she was his "fan" and a "stalker," who pursued him relentlessly, till they went out on their first date. In his interview to a magazine earlier this year, Milind had jokingly described how their relationship had changed over the years: "I've become more affectionate, and she's become more distant."